One
of the 6" Standard Godaikin figures released in 1984, the
transforming Daitetsujin 17 (pronounced "One-Seven") was actually
seven years old when it finally got a Western release.

The original
was taken from the Toei tokusatsu show Daitetsujin 17 (and that
translates into either Giant Iron Man 17 if you're going for
drama or Big Metal Person 17 if you're going for funny), wherein
the titular robot was controlled by a kid and used to defend the world
from evil scientists, robots and super-computers. The usual, basically.
Popy produced a transforming version of the robot for their Chogokin
series (coded GA-81), as well as a two-foot polythene Jumbo
Machinder
version (which also transformed). Popy's vehicle range, Popinika,
also saw the release of the three vehicles launched from Daitetsujin
17 in the show - the Shigcon Tank (PB-10), Sub
Machine (PB-11) and Shigcon Jet (PB-13), as well as a non-transforming
version of Daitetsujin 17's base mode, Flying Fortress 17 (PB-12). The
Chogokin robot was hugely popular, shifting around 1.5 million
units (and that's for just the Asian release). The
robot's Western bow was a little unusual. A company named Home Entertainment
purchased the rights to the TV series in 1982, stitched a few episodes
together, dubbed the result and released it as Brain
17, a cash-in aimed at the booming home VHS market. It was later
sold as a TV movie under the name The Defenders and the Great Brain.
The dub became a very minor cult favourite, managing to hit America
when giant robots were still something of a novelty.

The toy
wouldn't actually reach America until early 1984, when the figure was
released in the second series of Godaikin. The first series of
Godaikin hadn't sold particularly well, partly due to the very
high price of the figures. One possible solution was to release smaller
figures which cost less to ship over from Japan, and so five Standard
Godaikin were added to the range, one of these being Daitetsujin
17 (segue - the Chogokin release was promoted as a DX, or Deluxe,
figure despite only being 6" tall - at the time, the transformation
sequence was considered enough to make the toy a Deluxe - thus the toy
was designated a Deluxe in Japan, but a Standard figure in America,
where the toys were grouped by size rather than features). However,
the Godaikin figures were still expensive compared to lines like
Transformers, and the figure still carrying the Japanese name
(either for copyright reasons, pride on Bandai's part or even ignorance
of Toei's deal with Home Entertainment) didn't help it stand out.

Since then,
Daitetsujin 17 has retained a cult following, though nothing on the
sort of scale of many of its' contemporaries. Bandai did revisit the
figure in 1999, producing a battery-powered self-transforming
version still in the occasionally-used Chogokin series and
coded GD-17. There have also been gashapon PVC takes on the robot. Not
quite sure why I've latched onto him. It might be a growing love of
cheesy, comic-book tokusatsu, or the look of the robot, but I went for
him recently (briefly considering the self-transforming version, which
I dismissed on the grounds those gimmicks usually get boring fast; it's
also reportedly very very fragile). My version's a bit knocked around,
with a couple of small parts broken off and some wear, and missing all
the accessories bar the fists, but I was pretty happy with this latest
addition to my collection - we don't all have three-figure sums to throw
at robots, after all. A fully complete one would include a Grabidon
Missile Launcher (which clips on to the base mode) and tiny plastic
versions of the three vehicles from the series - in a rare concession
to the fact the range was aimed at children, Popy actually included
two of each. Not that many still have any of them, thirty years on.
I'm vaguely hopeful of finding something like Micro Machines
(maybe a slightly smaller cheapo version) that can be painted and modified
to serve as substitutes (the originals seem to be moulded pieces of
red plastic, and to be honest don't look fantastic).

DAITETSUJIN
17

The actual
design of the robot is gorgeous, managing to hit the right mix of boxy
and sleek. The big, clumping feet are nice, and somehow don't clash
with the cylindrical arms, while the head cast is rather good - very
stoic and noble. The colours work beautifully too, with the primary
deep blue accented nicely by the red and silver/grey. The hollow torso
is the only real problem, and even that is only particularly noticeable
from some angles. The Grabidon launcher would slot in here if present,
but I don't think he loses much without it.

Best of
all is the articulation. Most of it is a side-effect of the transformation
sure, but it's there - the arms hinge and rotate at the shoulders and
hinge at the elbows, while the knee, hip and ankle joints can all be
used to some degree thanks to the big solid feet. It's pretty impressive
for something thirty years old, despite the simple joints used. Another
astonishing thing about the toy is the weight - it tips the scales at
a remarkable 450g. For context the Transformers figure Point
Blank, who's about the same height (read: is the closest thing to the
same height I can get without having to stand up) weights 100g. There's
a lot of diecast on this, and quality runs though just about every aspect
of the toy. The closest thing to a fault is the lack of weapons for
the robot mode - the only weaponry being the rocket punches (incidentally,
this whole feature is really growing on me - it might be a little silly,
but it is fun - providing, of course, you manage to not lose the fists).
I think the Grabidon launcher can be used by flipping up the chest plate,
but that's a little naff. But then in the show Daitetsujin 17 largely
relies on fisticuffs, and seeing as the toy can actually pull off a
couple of jabs, this is sufficient. Also, the wings tilt to an inverted
'V' position for Daitetsujin 17's robot flight mode as seen in the show.

FLYING
FORTRESS 17

The figure's
transformation is simple, but tremendous fun. The toy is basically a
scaled-down version of the model used for the transforming scenes in
the series (for action sequences, Daitetsujin 17 was played by a lunatic
in a suit thumping another lunatic in a suit around a model town, naturally),
so the accuracy can't be faulted. Once you've watched the show's title
sequence to memorise the transformation it can be reproduced faithfully,
and has a wonderful fluency to it. Daitetsujin 17's alternate configuration
looks, well, like a folded robot. However, it's fair to say it's meant
to. Before Takatoku brought in Kanzen Henkei ('Perfectly Transforming')
and Diaclone bought in the idea of alternate modes as disguises,
alternate modes often did. While the still-developing engineering technology
was no doubt a factor, the layout actually fits with the character nicely.
Flying Fortress 17 isn't meant to be a disguise, it's simply a practical
alternative, giving a solid base of operations to the kid controlling
the robot and a launch-pad for the small vehicles.

All that
said, the Flying Fortress actually looks a lot better than it photographs.
While it's far from sleek, it's not ludicrously bulky. It is a little
difficult to imagine it doing much flying, but it's believable enough
that it's a fortress. There are hangars for the vehicles at ground level,
and a pair of (very powerful) catapults for the jet. These are rotated
to the parallel position for launch, unless you're after a cheap laugh.
There are some lovely flashes of detail such as the chromed control
tower, and it basically looks better than it has any right to. The Grabidon
Missile Launcher would clip on above the hangars, but I've got to say
I don't particularly miss it - partly because it seems a half-arsed
attempt at disguise when many other robot elements are visible and partly
because I think it'd just irritate me having to take the thing off all
the time.

SUMMARY

For his
age, Daitetsujin 17 holds up incredibly well. Even without that qualifier,
there's a massive amount to recommend, as quality, design and the simple
fun factor all dovetail into an absolute jewel of a toy. I really can't
recommend this charming and impressive piece enough, but beware - he
can be pricey.